Happy Birthday America!

and also to my friend Judi from SC (she doesn't have a blog, even though I keep telling her she really needs to get one. but i can see the hesitation--it's rather addictive).

so...what are you doing today? i'm going to be doing just what i'm supposed to be...enjoying my freedom. and thanks to all those men and women who have fought and are currently fighting for me to do exactly just that. today is a special day, but the reason for this day is not something i don't think about everyday. we are truly so very, very lucky to live in America...if not, then why do so many people go through so much to get here? we must be special and we should never take that for granted. EVER. and we should never do anything to jeopardize that freedom or make light of the price paid to earn it. EVER. men and women actually volunteer to defend freedom...they leave their families and loved ones b/c they understand far more about America than most, and they are willing to give their lives to keep it strong and free.

what i love:

• i love that i can have a blog and speak my mind, or that i could go put a sign on my lawn saying that i hated any particular political figure or authority...and i wouldn't get in trouble for it.
  
• i love that today i'm going to buy a beautiful American Flag and mount it on one of our columns in front of the house...and nobody can tell me that i can't.
  
• i love that i can go to wal-mart and buy that flag (and i will so desperately try to find one that is not made in china)...and i don't have to worry about getting blown up on the way there.
• i love that mich can go out and ride his bike up and down our dead-end street, then we can go off and hunt for bugs or to catch a glimpse of a bunny rabbit or two.
  
• i love that i can watch what i want on tv, or if i don't like anything on, i can turn it off and go do something else. nobody is forcing me to view something i don't want.
• i love that i can have a business out of my own home and charge people for money for a service that i learned.
• i love that mike went to school to learn a craft and now makes good money so that we can live in our amazing house.
• i love that on the weekends, we can go outside and mow the lawn...our own lawn...that only the bank owns and nobody can come out and tell us we can't.
  
• i love that i can hop in the car or on a plane and go visit my mom or sister.
• i love (and am still amazed regardless of how much the cost has gone up since i was a kid) that i can put a little sticker on an envelope, dump it in a box and in a few days have it show up at my mom's house over 1200 miles away.
• and while i hate that gas is $4 a gallon, i love that the government can't (and certainly shouldn't) do anything about it b/c if they did, they could just as easily say that mike's business can't charge what he does for the service he provides. think about that one.
  
• and i love that if things are bad one day, God smiles on us and gives us a brand new day to make a difference...because he placed us in this amazing Country where, no matter what happens, you alone have the power and the choice to do something to better yourself and your family.

here's a pic...i don't like posts without at least one pic...hopefully i will post one of our flag later today. here's my toothless boy and his not so happy little brother.